Deck the Halls with Raleigh North Carolina’s Historic House Tours

If you are a U.S. history buff: On December 11-12, re-enactors representing the Confederate 6th North Carolina regiment (of the United States of America) will camp on Capital Square to recreate war-time holiday celebrations of long ago. Visitors can witness troops receiving mail from home, test their hand at crafting period Christmas ornaments, dip candles, and even participate in Civil War drill routines for free. (919) 733-4994.

Executive Mansion Holiday Open House – Raleigh’s Executive Mansion – home to Governor and Mrs. Easley – will open its doors for the holidays on December 9, 2004, 5-8 PM. Decorated in a weeklong volunteer effort, North Carolina’s version of a larger-than-life gingerbread house features live greenery and three lavishly decorated trees. Visitors can also enjoy live entertainment ranging from choirs to orchestras that fill the air with the sounds of the music. Admission is free and reservations are required. Admission is free. (919) 733-4994.

Mordecai Historic Park Holiday Tours – Visitors will experience the sights and sounds of Christmas past when they tour the historic Mordecai plantation house and grounds, all decked out for the holidays in period decorations including evergreens and fruit displays. Admission for the one-hour guided tour is $6 Adults, $4 Children, under 7 Free. Tours will run in December on Tuesday - Saturday, 10 AM to 4 PM. (919) 833-6404, www.capitalareapreservation.org/park.html

Historic Oakview Christmas Open House & Self-guided Candlelight Tour – Just four miles east of downtown Raleigh, this antebellum farmstead is lit with luminaries for the holiday open-house. On December 11, from 1PM – 7:30PM (candlelight tour begins at 5:00 PM), guests can tour the 1855 Greek Revival house and visit with Santa in the living room, devour freshly baked cookies in the plank kitchen, and explore the cotton gin house museum, 1870s gazebo, and a Farm History Center. Sleigh rides will be given around the pecan grove, snow or shine. Admission is free. (919) 250-1013.

Historic Oakwood Candlelight Tour – The 33rd annual tour of this 19th Century Victorian neighborhood provides a glimpse inside several 19th century private homes and inns, elegantly decorated for the holidays. Tours will be held December 11-12, 1- 7 PM. Tickets are $10 in advance, $15 the days of the tour. (919) 832-9712 www.historicoakwood.org

Hark the Herald Angels Sing: Holiday Music, Art and Dance

Matisse & Picasso Exhibit – Including works that rarely travel, “Matisse, Picasso and the School of Paris,” at the N.C. Museum of Art promises visitors a brush with brilliance through January 2005. Exploring the vibrancy of artists who transformed Paris into the epicenter of modern art, this exhibit features 34 paintings, sculptures and drawings by Van Gogh, Gauguin, Cézanne, Bonnard, Monet and Rodin.  Admission:  Adults $12, Seniors and Students $9, under 12 Free.  www.ncmoa.org/matisse/

A Christmas Memory – Until he was 10 years old, Truman Capote lived with a family of distant and elderly cousins in a small town in rural Alabama. A Christmas Memory is a frankly autobiographical story about those years and especially his relationship with one of the cousins, Miss Sook Faulk. The faded photograph, on the stage during the production, is of the author and Miss Faulk, who died in 1938 while Capote was a student at a military academy in New York State. Theatre In The Park has presented this production, along with Ira David Wood, for the last 25 years, with performances this year from December 17-19. Tickets $10. (919) 831-6058, www.visitraleigh.com

The Nutcracker Ballet –Performed by the Carolina Ballet and N.C. Symphony, this holiday classic will transport the audience to a land of sweets, waltzing flowers, dancing snowflakes and sugar plum fairies through lavish sets, costumes and sound. According to Francis Mason, WQXR, the radio station of The New York Times, “Director Robert Weiss has created an extraordinary new version of Nutcracker that uses even more children and casts its own spell.” Performances run from December 17-26, with tickets ranging from $10 - $100. (919) 719.0900, www.carolinaballet.com/03-04-season/nutcracker.html

Historic Trolley Tours – On December 4, 11 and 18, travel back in time and see Raleigh’s 200-year history from a historic perspective on the Raleigh Trolley. The narrated tour includes stops at Mordecai Historic Park, the Capital Area Visitors Center, State Capitol at Bicentennial Plaza, Glenwood South at West & Jones Streets, Joel Lane House, and City Market. Departures from Mordecai Historic Park, stop number one, are on the hour at 11am, 12 noon, 1 pm, and 2 pm. There is unlimited same day boarding and reboarding. Adults $8, Children $4, under 6 years old free. (919) 834-4844.

Holiday Home Away From Home

The Oakwood Inn B&B – Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, this 1871 Victorian home is nestled in the Historic Oakwood District within walking distance of downtown Raleigh. The inn has six beautiful guest rooms, all decorated in period antiques with private baths and working fireplaces. The Polk guest room even sports its own personal Christmas tree, and a private porch decorated with evergreen bows and colorful bows. Rates range from $99 to $165 per night. For details, call (919) 832-9712 or visit www.oakwoodinnbb.com

William Thomas House B&B – Built in 1881, the William Thomas House recaptures the warmth and spirit of Victorian times. Raleigh’s museums, shopping, restaurants, antique stores and the Governor’s Mansion are a short walk away. The four well-appointed guest rooms, all with private baths, come with a full Southern breakfast and complimentary wine and cheese in the late afternoon. Rates start at $125. For details, call (919) 755-9400 or visit www.williamthomashouse.com

TGIF Holiday Promotion and $1,000 Shopping Spree – A chance to win a $1,000 shopping spree at Raleigh’s Crabtree Valley Mall or Triangle Town Center is the centerpiece of a special TGIF Holiday Promotion. To enter to win, people must book reservations during a November and December weekend at one of 29 participating hotels. Rates, which start at $39.99 per night, are guaranteed to be the lowest available rates any day of the week. The promotion also includes special holiday entertainment discounts and a holiday shopping card. For details, call (866) 246-TGIF or visit www.tgifraleigh.com

For a free Raleigh visitors guide or more promotional information, please call (800) 849-8499, check out www.visitraleigh.com or e-mail visit@visitraleigh.com That’s “City Life, Carolina Style.”

November 29, 2004   Posted in: United States SouthEast